Apparatus for filling and sealing containers



Feb.. 8, 1944. w. D. BELL y APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND VSLAJJING CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheety l Filed NOV. 14, 1940 v 46- ff f l |.NVENTOR WlHlom D. Bell.

A ATTORNEYS Feb. i944. A w. D. BELL 2,341,498

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u f 4 ATTORNEYS W. D. BELL APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALING CONTAINERS Filed Nv. 14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNyENTOR W|I||Qm D. Bell.

' ATTORNEYS Feb. s, 1944.

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALIN G CONTAINERS william D. neu, columbus, ohio, assignmto Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Lancaster, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 14, 1940, Serial No. 365,680

Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for lling and sealing containers. It has to do. more particularly, with a lling machine in combination with a vacuum sealing machine, although some of the elements of my invention may be used independently of the iiliing machine or in combination with lling machines of different types from that disclosed herein. It relates to liing and sealing jars, cans, et cetera, of the type used for containing food and other products.

In the prior art, where vacuum sealing machines have been used. they have been used mainly in association with, rather than directly in combination with the lling unit. Thus, in one type of apparatus, which is in use in the prior art, it has been customary to provide a conveyer to receive the lled but open'containers as they come from the lling machine.` 'Ihe'receiving conveyer has associated therewith a cap-feeding unit which is designed to successively deliver caps to a. position where the skirts thereof will be engaged by the upper ends of the containers, as they are moved along by such conveyer. Consequently, each moving container successively withdraws a cap from the closure feeding unit. Each container, with a cap thereon, then moves into association with a sealing means which seals the cap in position. I n this type of machine, the caps are withdrawn in a steam chamber and the containers, with the caps thereon, pass through such steam chamber to the sealing means. During the withdrawal of the caps from the capit very diicult to synchronize the speed of movefeeding unit, and during the feeding of the containers with the caps thereon to the sealing unit, steam enters the head space of each container Y and is entrapped therein during the sealing operation. The sealed containers then pass into a cooler zone'to insure condensation of the steam` been customary, in a machine of this prior art type, to provide endless gripping belts, which travel alongside the containers at the same ,speed as the conveyer which supports the containers, and which grip such containers, particularly at the time they withdraw the caps fromthe capfeeding unit, so that they will remain upright and will positively withdraw the caps from such ment of the conveyers of the two units which practically necessitates the withdrawal of the caps from thecap-ieeding unit by the containers in the manner indicated above.

As indicated above, this prior art machine employs steam for the production of vacuum. in the head space of each container. While this is satisfactory for some' products, the condensation of the steam in the head space necessarily results in a certain amount of moisture. which is undesirable when sealing certain products which should be kept dry.

One of the objects 'of my invention is to provide simple, compact and emcient apparatus tor both iling and sealing containers which embodies a. lling machine and a vacuum sealing machine directly in combination with each other. Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the type indicated wherein the nllmg unit is provided with a movable conveyer and the sealing-unit is associated directly with such conveyer eliminating the necessity of having two separate conveyors, when the units are separate. and complicated apparatus for synchronizing the speed of movement oi such conveyers.

Another object of my invention is to provide combined apparatus embodying a filling unit and a sealing unit which are both tuated by the same driving means.

Another object of my invention is to provideapparatus which avoids the necessity of utilizing the'traveling containers to withdraw caps from a cap-feeding unit and thus which makes it possible to dispense with complicated mechanism that has Apreviously been used for maintaining small diameter containers upright, under the stresses resulting from the withdrawal of the caps from the cap-feeding unit by such containers.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the type indicated wherein the sealing unit is operated each time a container moves into association therewith without having the container contact a control member or trigger for actuating the sealing head.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus ofthe type indicated wherein means is provided for feeding the cap directly `to the sealing head oi' the sealing unit rather than feedthe sealing head.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the type indicated which has a sealing unit oi such a nature that all possibility of missing a container or jamming oi the machine is entirely eliminated.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the type indicated which has a sealing unit of such a nature that a high degree of vacuum will be produced in the head Space of the container by the use of a medium which will not produce moisture and which will substantially eliminate the oxygen in the head space and replace it by a medium which will be benecial rather than detrimental to the contents.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, S. N. 325,393, led March 22, 1940, and directed to Method and apparatus for sealing containers, which4 issued as Patent No. 2,284,631, June 2, 1942.

My invention contemplates the provision of a nlling unit which includes a movable conveyer. I provide a sealing unit directly in combination with the illling unit which will apply and seal caps on the filled containers while they are still being' carried by the conveyer of the filling unit. My invention further consists in the provision of a movable sealing head on said sealing unit, which is operated from the same source of power as the iilling unit and which, therefore, will be synchronized therewith. The sealing head has means associated therewith for directly feeding the caps by gravity in succession beneath the sealing head. This sealing unit serves to seal the caps on the illled containers as they successively leave their filling stations upon the illling unit. lMy invention further consists in adding to the air within the head space of the container, beneath the cap which is about to be applied. and within the immediate vicinity of the top of the container, a sulcient amount of combustible gas to form an explosive mixture therewith. The combustible mixture. so formed, is ignited and, immediately, the cap is sealed upon the container in such a manner as to entrap the hot products of combustion, in order that subsequent cooling of the entrapped gases will result in a high degree of vacuum in the headspace of Vthe container. As indicated above, it is notnecessary to rely on the movement of the container -to withdraw the cap from the ca'p feed. Also, it is not necessary for the container to .actuate a control for the sealing unit sincethe sealing unit is driven by the same source of power as the lling unit and is synchronized therewith.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate cor- -responding parts and wherein:

ing them onto the containers before they reach the means for supporting the can in position beneath the sealing head.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 1-1 oi Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail, mainly in perspective, of the cap-supporting means.

Figure 9 is a detail in vertical section of one oi the container-receiving tray structures which are used upon the conveyer of the lling unit.

Figure 10 is a top plan view oi the structure shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Figures 9 and 10.

With reference to the drawings. I have illustrated in Figure 1, a illling unit which. in the main, is substantially in the form in which it is used in the prior art. It involves a continuously rotating filling head I, carrying a series of filler nozzles 2. The lling head I is mounted upon a vertically disposed rotatable shaft 3 by means of which rotation of such illling head is effected. The iilling head is disposed at one end of the conveyer. Travelling in timed relationship to this lling head and the nozzles thereof, is an endless conveyer 4. This conveyer 4 has container-receiving trays 5 disposed at regular intervals thereon. Each tray 5 is provided with an upstanding ange 6. 'I'he flange 6 is U-shaped so that a tray is formed for receiving the container, the tray being closed at its inner end and sides but being open at its outer end.

In the present instance, the container-receiving trays 5 are mounted on the endless chain of the conveyer in a different manner from the prior art. Each tray 5, as shown best in Figures 9 to 1l, is carried by a link 8 of the conveyer. The tray is mounted on the upper end of a block I. which is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in guideway or slots I0 formed in the top and bottom portions of the link 8. A compression spring Il has oneend disposed around a boss la on block 9 and bears against such block. The

other end of the spring is disposed around a boss 8a formed on the vertical portion lb, of the link 8, with which the spring contacts. This spring Il tends to move the block 9 to the right-hand ends (Figure 9) of the slots I0 and keep the block in such position. Thus, the tray I is normally kept at its farthest position to the right on the link 8 which supports it. However, as will appear more fullyhereinafter, when pressure is applied which tends to move the tray Ito the lett on the link 8, the spring Il will be compressed,

permitting this movement.

The sealing unit which I preferably employ may be generally designated I2 and is located along one side of the endless conveyer l at a point where'it will act on the containers which have been lled by the head I disposed at one end of the conveyer. This sealing unit comprises a vertically disposed housing I3 which is of substantially rectangular cross-section and is carn'ed on the upper end of a support Il which extends over the conveyer l, as shown in Figure 3. The housing I3 is vertically adjustable on the support I4, by means of bolt and slot connections l5, so that the housing I3 may be adjusted to diilerent heights, depending upon the height of the containers to be sealed. .A channel I8 (Figure 4) is provided at the lower end of the housing I3, through which the upper ends of the containers are successively moved by the conveyer.

This housing I3 has4 a sealing head I'I of cylindrical form mounted for vertical movement in 'a cylindrical bore I8, formed in the lower portion of the housing. Above the sealing head i1, within the housing, is disposed a cam I8. This cam is keyed on a shaft l4 which is horizontally disposed within the housing and is mounted for rotation. The cam i9 engages a roller 2l which is carried by a pair of ears 22 formed on the upper end of the sealing head i1. Cam l! has a projecting portion isa (Figure Springs 2l have their lower ends connected tothe sealing head Il and have their upper ends connected to a horizontally disposed pin. mounted within the housing i3. These springs normally tend to draw the head il upwardly so that the roller 2i will be in contact with the cam i9. However,

upon rotation of the cam I9, the portion isa will strike roller 2i, and the head il will be forced downwardly. The shaft 2o is rotated to rotate the cam i9 in a manner to be explained.

Associated with the sealing unit I2 ls an inclined cap chute 25 of channel form adapted to feed the caps downwardly in edge-to-edge relationship. This cap chute has a lower substan' tially horizontal portion 26 which leads through a slot 2l formed in the outer wall of the channel I6 as shown best in Figure 4. The chute 25 may be fed with caps at its upper end by any suitable type of cap-feeding hopper which will insure that the caps will be fedinto the chute with their under sides lowerrnost. Obviously, the caps may be fed to the chute ,25 by hand. The end ot the cap chute 25 terminates in an end portion tta which is of semicircular form, as shown best in Figures 6 and 8. This end portion 26a has ilanges 2Gb which engage the edge of the cap. Directly below the initial position oi sealin head il, as shown best in Figure 7, is a capreceiving recess or socket 28. The socket Ela is of the proper depth to receive the cap. The socket or recess Ela extends transversely oi the housing i3 at right angles to the channel i6, or at right angles to the direction of movement of the containers. The lower edges of the walls of this socket carry, at diametrlcally opposed points, a pair of pivoted cap-supporting naps 2d. These naps are normally held in horizontal position by weights 29, formed as a part thereof. These naps normally project beneath the cap-receiving recess 2'la and will support a cap therein in the manner illustrated best in Figure 7. The aps' 28 serve as a continuation of the bottom wall ol' .the chute 25, as shown best in Figure 8. Thus,

it will be apparent that the caps will be fed in succession downwardly through the chute, through slot 2l to a point beneath the sealing head Il, where they will lbe supported by the ilaps 28. However, when the sealing head il is moved downwardly, the flaps 28 will be forced downwardly and will be spread outwardly by the cap, but will swing back into horizontal position as soon as the cap has been moved downwardly to a sufficient extent and the sealing head returns to its initial position. lThen another cap will be -fed from .the chute25 by gravity into Vposition beneath the sealing head Il. Thus, a gravity feed of the caps is provided and this feed is controlled by the position of the sealing head.

i8 adjacent the sealing head i1. A spark plug Il is also mounted on this wall of the channel i8 'and has its points in the port 34. The piston 3| A of the'pump has an upwardly extending piston 'I'he sealing unit l2 is further provided with a pump 3o, which is adapted to force a suitable line 33 leads from the pump and to an outlet port 34, which is formed in one wall oi the channel' rod 88 connected thereto. yThe rod 3B is mounted for vertical reciprocation in brackets I1 secured to the housing I3. A compression spring I8 is provided in surrounding relationship to the upper end of rod 3B, beneath the upper bracket 81, and engages 'a collar 38a, carried by the rod to normally force the' rod 36 and the piston .3i downwardly. In this lower position of piston 3|, the outlet line 33 will be closed and no gas will be supplied to the outlet port 34. However, when the piston 3i is raised to its uppermost position, the inlet 32 is open, allowing gas to enter the pump, and when the piston 3l returns to its low` ermost position, due to the spring 38. the gas will be forced from the pump, through the line $3 and outlet port 3d, into the upper end ci the container. A check valve 33a is provided on line 33 and will open only upon downward movement of piston di. gas will be supplied to the container.

For moving the piston rod it upwardly at the proper time to supply the charge of gas to the container, I provide a cam 39. This cam is keyed on an extension of the shaft Ril. This cam has a hat portion til, which is adapted to engage at regular intervals a roller itl carried in a xed position on the rod dit. When the portion dil engages roller di, it will permit the rod 36 to be forced downwardly by spring 33. Thus, the pump is actuated to supply'the predetermined charge or gas to the container. When the curved portion lila of cam to contacts roller di, it will lift the rod 36 and keep it lifted for a short period.

-As the last portion of the'charge of gas is being forced from the outlet 3d, it is de'sired that it be ignited. For this purpose, I provide another camftZ, keyed on the extension of shaft 2d, which has a projecting portion d3 that engages, at regular intervals, a micrometer switch dfi', whichenergizes the spark plug t5 to which it is connected by a suitable circuit. Thus, the charge of gas is supplied to the container and is ignited substantially simultaneously. The cams 39 and d2 are so adjusted relative to the cam i9 on shaft 2li that the sealing head il moves downwardly substantially simultaneously with the ignition of the charge of gas, so as to entrap the products of combustion to produce the required vacuum.

The shaft 20 is rotated by means of a bevelv is rotatably carried by the support lll and thev support for the conveyer. The lowerl end of the shaft is rotatably mounted in a bracket 48, secured to a housing t9 which contains the driving mechanism of this machine. The shaft 4l has a telescoping section 41a and carries on its lower end a bevel gear 50 which meshes with a bevel gear 5I. 'I'he bevel gear 5| is keyed on the outer end of a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft 52. which extends into the housing 49. The inner end of this housing '49 carries a bevel gear 53 which meshes with a bevel gear 54 of a speed reduction gear unit 55. The unit 55 also serves to drive the shaft 3 which operates the filling head I. This shaft 3 extends through .the upper wall of housing 49 and is rotatably carried 'by such wall. The gear unit 55 is driven by'an elec- Thus, a predetermined charge of Y Thus, it will be apparent that the filler unit I and the sealing unit I2 are both driven by the same source'of lpower.

In the operation of my apparatus, the containers are placed upon the .trays B at the inner closed ends thereof while the conveyer is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. They are placed'onI the trays at the side of the conveyer opposite the side where the sealing unit I2 is disposed. When the containers reach the filling unit I, they successively' register with the nozzles thereof and, during a portion of the rotation of the filler head. each container is filled with the proper quantity of material.

A wire g'iard Ia functions to keep the containers in proper position in the trays during illing (Figure 2). As each container passes from beneath the filler head unit I, it moves toward the sealing unit I2 which has alreadybeen provided with a cap from the chute 25. When the lled receptacle reaches a position immediately below the sealing unit I2, the pump Bil isv actuated by cam 39 to supply a charge of gas to the upper end of the container, and the switch M is actuated, by the cam 42 to ignite the gas. Practically simultaneously with this ignition of the gas, the sealing head I'I is forced downwardly by the cam I9 and seals the closure upon the container. At the time. the sealing head is pressing the cap on the container, the container will be forced downwardly against the tray with a substantial pressure. However, movement of the tray with the continuously moving conveyer will be interrupted for an instant, due to the structure shown in Figures 9, 10 and ll, sufllcient to permit the forcing of the cap into its final position by the sealing head. The ignition and burning of the combustible mixture localized about the head-space and top of the container brings about a large increase in the volume thereof because of the high temperature of the rapid combustion. If the cap isv 2,841,498 f a A the head-space of the container. the intense heat of the combustion eifectively sterilizes the closure, the head-space of the container. and the exposed surface of the material in the container. As a result, the conditions within the head-space of the sealed container are more favorable for the preservation of the contents than are at present commercially attainable by any other process. The head-space is effectively sterilized, free oxygen is eliminated, and only inert products of 'combustion at very low pressure remain in the head-space ofthe container. It is a well established fact thatreduction inthe amount of oxyvacuum sealing unit with alling unit. and of utilizing the mechanism of the lling-unit to drive the sealing unit and to time the various operations thereof in synchronism with the operation of the sealing unit. It renders unnecessary the use of a container to trip mechanism to initiate the operation of the sealing unit. l

Another important advantage of my apparatus arises from the fact that it is no longer necessary to apply the caps to the'containers prior to the sealing of such caps on the receptacles. Consequently, it becomes unnecessary to use the containers to withdraw the closures from the cap feed and it there eliminates the necessity of providing belts or other means for holding the containers upright upon the conveyer.

Still another advantage of my invention is that the caps are fed directly to the sealing head and into a position that permits of their direct downward application to the containers and which eliminates all danger of the caps becoming improperly applied to the containers.

Still another advantage of my invention arises from the fact that the sealing head may be so adjusted as to regulate the position of the caps above the containers as desired. The skirts of the caps need not actually enclose the mouths of the containers until the nal sealing operation. The'lower edges of these skirts may be at an elevation above the uppermost edges of the containers while the combustible uid is being introduced, which permits of. the introduction of pose of obtaining the vacum. For example, anyi hydrocarbon gas, such as hydrogen gas, ordinary illuminating gas, or any of the gases which are at present being sold in pressure tanks, may be used. When the gaseous mixture ignites, it envelops the entire head of the container in flame at atemperature of from 3000 to 4000 F. 'I'he oxygen of the air in the head-space of the container combines with the hydrogen and carbon of the' fuel gas, and only the hot products of combustion andthe residual nitrogen-of the air remain to be trapped in the head-space. Nitrogen is not injurious to the contents of the con'- tainer but, in fact, serves as a preservative. The expansion resulting from this ignition is suiiiciently violent to drive out practically all of the gases previously in the head-space of the container and under the closure and in the immediate vicinity thereof. When the container cools, a high degree of vacuum will be present in the head space.

In addition to eliminating free oxygen from a larger volume ofthe combustible fluid initially and the attainment of a greater degree of vacuum finally.

Still another advantage arises from the fact that all oxygen is removed from the head-space of the container and from beneath the caps. Moreover, no moisture is deposited upon the product in the container. In addition, the headspace becomes filled with nitrogen which further protects the product as indicated above.

Other objects will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A machine for sealing containers including a sealing unit and a, conveyer for moving a successi-on of containers into cooperative relationship with said sealing unit, said conveyer being adapted for continuous movement relative to said unit, container-supporting means forming a part of said conveyer and normally movable therewith, and means located between each of said container-supporting means and the conveyer permitting the movement of said container-supporting means to be arrested while said support and con.

tainer are in sealing position with relation to said sealing unit.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said last-named means returns the container- 'supporting means to its normal position with relation to the conveyer toy move therewith after the sealing operation has been completed.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said last-named means comprises a compression spring.

4. A machine for sealing containers comprising a sealing unit and an endless conveyer for moving a plurality of successive containers into cooperative relationship with said sealing unit, said endless conveyer being adapted for continuous travel relative to said sealing unit, a plurality of spaced container-supporting members carried by and forming a part of said endless conveyer and normally movable therewith, and a floating connection between each of said supporting members and said conveyer whereby to permit the movement `of each ofA said con-` tainer-supporting members' to be arrested while said member and its supported container are in sealing position with relation to said sealing unit.

5. A machine according to claim 4 wherein said floating connection permits the supporting member to resume its normal position with relation to the conveyer and move therewith after the sealing operation of the container has been completed.

6. Means for moving a'plurality of containers to the sealing unit of a container-sealing machine, comprising an endless conveyer for transporting a succession of said containers into cooperative relationship With said sealing unit, container-supporting members carried by and -forming a part oi' said endless conveyer, said members being capable of limited movement relative to said conveyer, and separate means associated with each of lsaid members 'and said conveyer permitting the movement ofa member to be arrested for a predetermined time While said member and its supported container are in sealing position with relation to the sealing unit.

7. Structure according to claim 6 wherein each of said separate means comprises a compression spring interposed between a portion of said supporting member and a portion of said conveyer.

8. Structure according to claim 6 wherein said separate means returns the container-supporting member to .its normal position with relation to the conveyer to resume its travel therewith after the sealing operation has been completed.

9. In a machine forv sealing closures onto filled containers in which the machine is provided with a substantially vertically movable sealing head an-d a continuously moving endless conveyer for conveying iilled containers to the sealing head; supporting means for the individual lled containers forming a part of said endless conveyer.

and means associated with said container-supporting means and conveyer permitting the supporting means and its supported container to remain stationary for a predetermined period of time during the continued movement of the conveyer and while the sealing operation is being performed by the sealing head.

l0. A machine according to claim 9 wherein the means associated with the container-supporting means and the conveyer comprises an opening providedin the conveyer and a. compression spring located in said opening and having its opposite ends in engagement with a portion of the container-supporting means and a portion of said, conveyer.

' WILLIAM D. BELL. 

